Sunday, July 29, 2012
I'm Still Here
I'm still here. I know my 3 readers were really starting to worry! I'm 36 weeks pregnant and life has been busy. Trying to keep these kids entertained this summer without them trying to kill one another is a big task. I went to the doctor last week and mystery baby is measuring 2 weeks ahead of schedule and a little on the big side. Not sure if we are off on my due date, or if this babe is just going to be hefty? I'm just glad that one way or the other, something justifies all this weight gain. It couldn't possibly be my daily fix of ice cream. I quit taking my contraction medication over a week ago and of course, there hasn't been any change in my contractions. Just my luck. So we are just waiting. Every morning I wake up thinking that this will be the day! Mystery baby is still just cooking in there and will make his/her appearance when he/she is ready. Until then, my mind is ever changing on what I think the gender is. I will be as surprised as the next person. I'll keep you posted.
Monday, July 2, 2012
I'm a firm believer in...chiropractic care!
I'm at that stage of pregnancy where I am pretty much miserable. This stage seems to start sooner with each one. Could be signs of getting older? Let's not go there. Everything aches. I can't sleep. I sweat 24/7 and can't ever get cool. I waddle because I'm pretty sure this little one is about to fall out of my, well you know. That or one of my other organs that has lost all elasticity. I was reminded of the importance of chiropractic care when I woke up this morning with the worst pain in my upper back I've felt in ages. Like I could barely walk and couldn't take a deep breath without shooting pains up my spine. I ran up to my chiropractors office, he worked on me for only a couple of minutes and I walked out of there a new woman.
Here's the deal with chiropractors...there aren't a lot of good ones. I know this because I've tried several. They all have different techniques, they all think they can cure cancer with an adjustment and they will all give you the stink eye if you even mention medications or immunizations. (At least the ones I've been to anyway.) When I finally found the one that worked best for me, I fell in love with chiropractic care and I'm pretty sure that my chiro could fix just about any problem I have.
Here are a couple of things to keep in mind while searching for the perfect chiropractor. You will never get a one time fix. It takes several consistent adjustments to get you in alignment and then you have to maintain that. You cannot just go once or twice a year and it fix all of your issues. When you get adjusted consistently, your chiro will know exactly what you need at each visit and you will hold your adjustment better. Second, look for one that is respectful of your views and doesn't try and shove their homeopathic ideas down your throat.
I am all for natural care when it comes to health. In my experience 9 times out of 10, homeopathic remedies do work for most things. If any of us get sick, I would see our chiropractor before I went to the doctor. He will adjust us for that particular illness, give me some suggestions on remedies, tell me what to expect and send me on my way. Almost every time it works and we are feeling 100% within a few days. Does that mean if one of us ever got a bad case of pneumonia I wouldn't give an antibiotic? Absolutely not. Does that mean I would rush to give them a 10 day dose of penicillin for an ear infection? Absolutely not. You have to find the right balance.
I'm also a huge believer in getting children adjusted. I know a lot of people think that is crazy, but there are so many benefits. In fact, my little guy had his first adjustment when he was just a few days old. My kids love their adjustments. They all argue over who gets to go first. When your body is adjusted correctly it improves your sleep patterns, increases overall wellness and is a huge immune booster. Maybe that's why my little guy is 2 and has never needed a medication? Maybe that's why neither of my girls have been to the doctor except for well child visits in a couple of years? Maybe it's just a coincidence? Either way, I'm a believer and will keep on getting my family chiropractic care as long as we can!
Here's the deal with chiropractors...there aren't a lot of good ones. I know this because I've tried several. They all have different techniques, they all think they can cure cancer with an adjustment and they will all give you the stink eye if you even mention medications or immunizations. (At least the ones I've been to anyway.) When I finally found the one that worked best for me, I fell in love with chiropractic care and I'm pretty sure that my chiro could fix just about any problem I have.
Here are a couple of things to keep in mind while searching for the perfect chiropractor. You will never get a one time fix. It takes several consistent adjustments to get you in alignment and then you have to maintain that. You cannot just go once or twice a year and it fix all of your issues. When you get adjusted consistently, your chiro will know exactly what you need at each visit and you will hold your adjustment better. Second, look for one that is respectful of your views and doesn't try and shove their homeopathic ideas down your throat.
I am all for natural care when it comes to health. In my experience 9 times out of 10, homeopathic remedies do work for most things. If any of us get sick, I would see our chiropractor before I went to the doctor. He will adjust us for that particular illness, give me some suggestions on remedies, tell me what to expect and send me on my way. Almost every time it works and we are feeling 100% within a few days. Does that mean if one of us ever got a bad case of pneumonia I wouldn't give an antibiotic? Absolutely not. Does that mean I would rush to give them a 10 day dose of penicillin for an ear infection? Absolutely not. You have to find the right balance.
I'm also a huge believer in getting children adjusted. I know a lot of people think that is crazy, but there are so many benefits. In fact, my little guy had his first adjustment when he was just a few days old. My kids love their adjustments. They all argue over who gets to go first. When your body is adjusted correctly it improves your sleep patterns, increases overall wellness and is a huge immune booster. Maybe that's why my little guy is 2 and has never needed a medication? Maybe that's why neither of my girls have been to the doctor except for well child visits in a couple of years? Maybe it's just a coincidence? Either way, I'm a believer and will keep on getting my family chiropractic care as long as we can!
Thursday, June 28, 2012
I'm a firm believer in...a great marriage!
Today was our 9th wedding anniversary. 9 years and 3.5 kids apparently makes things like anniversary's sneak up on you. Neither of us forgot it, per say, we just didn't realize that it had crept up on us until yesterday. We were driving to Hawaiian Falls with the kiddos and our conversation went a little something like this...
Me- So, I just noticed that tomorrow is our anniversary.
Keith- (deer in headlights face) Really?
Me- Don't worry, I forgot too. I didn't get you anything.
Keith- Okay, good. We will do it up next year for our 10th.
Me- Sounds good.
Then we high fived. It was really romantic.
I am by no means an expert on marriage. The Hubby and I have had our ups and downs just like the next couple. Just like there are non negotiables in our parenting, there are also non negotiables in our marriage. The divorce rate in America is scary and I'm not naive enough to think that it could never happen to us. Statistics show that the chances of us getting a divorce down the road are higher than not. Neither of us believe in divorce. Neither of us want to live in an "okay" marriage. So how do you prevent those things from happening?
First and foremost I believe that any marriage that's not grounded on faith is dangerous. It is extremely important to pray for your spouse and with your spouse on a regular basis. If you think about it, when you pray together, you know your spouses innermost thoughts and struggles. When you lay those before the Lord and before each other, there is no better form of communication.
Second, make time for alone time with each other. This is such a hard one for us because the Hubby pretty much works 24/7 and we have 3 hooligans that we have to find childcare for. However, we love date nights! It is so great to get away from all the distractions and reconnect. Sometimes this happens over a nice dinner somewhere, sometimes this happens on a little vacation by ourselves and sometimes I will just sit in his office at 11 o'clock at night while he works and I talk his ear off. I cannot stress how important it is to have time alone with your spouse, without a kid on your hip, where you can just focus on each other.
Third, don't sweat the small stuff. There are so many times early in our marriage that I can remember getting so mad about something that didn't even matter. Somewhere along the road I realized the importance of choosing my battles. When I get irritated with the Hubby, I really try and put my emotions to the side and think about whether or not it is worth getting my panties in a wad over. Neither of us are perfect and we do things that annoy the crap out of the other person on a regular basis. 9 times out of 10 the things we get upset about were never intentional on the other persons part. I could totally be a nagging wife and him an absent husband, however, we choose our battles and strive for peace instead of turmoil.
Last, but not least, I think it is so important to focus on the things you love about your spouse instead of the things that drive you crazy about them. Listen, it's hard to live with someone day in and day out. I could nit pick all the things that the Hubby doesn't do or that he could do better. Where would that get us? Instead, when he is getting on my nerves I try and think about all the things that he does for our family and all the things I love about him. Like how he is such a great provider for us, and how he is super funny and fun to be around, and how patient he is, and how great of a leader he is, and how he still gives me butterflies when he kisses me. All those things outweigh the little things that irritate me.
Bottom line is that (hopefully) in about 20 years, we will be empty nesters. We will have (hopefully) raised well respected, Christ following children and sent them off into the world. I want to look at the Hubby and have so much anticipation for what the golden years hold for us as a couple. I want to still know him and love being around him. I want us to travel and have all the grand-kids over for the weekend so that their parents can have alone time. I want to be an example of what a Godly marriage looks like and for our kids to expect nothing less than that for themselves. I want our girls to want to marry someone just like their Daddy and our boys to find a virtuous woman. I pray everyday that our focus stays the same and that 50 years from now he still slaps me on the rear when I walk by him.
Me- So, I just noticed that tomorrow is our anniversary.
Keith- (deer in headlights face) Really?
Me- Don't worry, I forgot too. I didn't get you anything.
Keith- Okay, good. We will do it up next year for our 10th.
Me- Sounds good.
Then we high fived. It was really romantic.
I am by no means an expert on marriage. The Hubby and I have had our ups and downs just like the next couple. Just like there are non negotiables in our parenting, there are also non negotiables in our marriage. The divorce rate in America is scary and I'm not naive enough to think that it could never happen to us. Statistics show that the chances of us getting a divorce down the road are higher than not. Neither of us believe in divorce. Neither of us want to live in an "okay" marriage. So how do you prevent those things from happening?
First and foremost I believe that any marriage that's not grounded on faith is dangerous. It is extremely important to pray for your spouse and with your spouse on a regular basis. If you think about it, when you pray together, you know your spouses innermost thoughts and struggles. When you lay those before the Lord and before each other, there is no better form of communication.
Second, make time for alone time with each other. This is such a hard one for us because the Hubby pretty much works 24/7 and we have 3 hooligans that we have to find childcare for. However, we love date nights! It is so great to get away from all the distractions and reconnect. Sometimes this happens over a nice dinner somewhere, sometimes this happens on a little vacation by ourselves and sometimes I will just sit in his office at 11 o'clock at night while he works and I talk his ear off. I cannot stress how important it is to have time alone with your spouse, without a kid on your hip, where you can just focus on each other.
Third, don't sweat the small stuff. There are so many times early in our marriage that I can remember getting so mad about something that didn't even matter. Somewhere along the road I realized the importance of choosing my battles. When I get irritated with the Hubby, I really try and put my emotions to the side and think about whether or not it is worth getting my panties in a wad over. Neither of us are perfect and we do things that annoy the crap out of the other person on a regular basis. 9 times out of 10 the things we get upset about were never intentional on the other persons part. I could totally be a nagging wife and him an absent husband, however, we choose our battles and strive for peace instead of turmoil.
Last, but not least, I think it is so important to focus on the things you love about your spouse instead of the things that drive you crazy about them. Listen, it's hard to live with someone day in and day out. I could nit pick all the things that the Hubby doesn't do or that he could do better. Where would that get us? Instead, when he is getting on my nerves I try and think about all the things that he does for our family and all the things I love about him. Like how he is such a great provider for us, and how he is super funny and fun to be around, and how patient he is, and how great of a leader he is, and how he still gives me butterflies when he kisses me. All those things outweigh the little things that irritate me.
Bottom line is that (hopefully) in about 20 years, we will be empty nesters. We will have (hopefully) raised well respected, Christ following children and sent them off into the world. I want to look at the Hubby and have so much anticipation for what the golden years hold for us as a couple. I want to still know him and love being around him. I want us to travel and have all the grand-kids over for the weekend so that their parents can have alone time. I want to be an example of what a Godly marriage looks like and for our kids to expect nothing less than that for themselves. I want our girls to want to marry someone just like their Daddy and our boys to find a virtuous woman. I pray everyday that our focus stays the same and that 50 years from now he still slaps me on the rear when I walk by him.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
I'm a firm believer in...not being my child's friend
Okay, I'm going a little deeper here with these posts. There are a lot of things that are non negotiables when it comes to our parenting. I could do a whole series on that topic alone. One of the things that I see is a common problem with my generations style of parenting is not only laziness, but choosing to be our child's friend over being their parent. Wonder why so many kids have entitlement issues these days? I always wanted girls and I cannot wait until the day that I have raised them to be well respected women with families of their own and we can be friends. Not until then.
You see, it is not my job to give my children whatever they want. It's not my job to make them happy. It's not easy being a parent. It's my job to make sure they don't wind up pregnant at 16 or in prison after high school. How do we, as parents, make that happen? I'm not 100% sure, as my children are still young and dependent upon me. What I do know is that they know from the time they are put in this family that there are consequences to their actions. Every time. You make good choices, your life will be fairly easy. You make bad choices, you will receive a consequence. Sometimes my kids think the consequence is worth the crime, most of the time they don't.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard my girls complain to one another that I'm being mean by not buying that toy they wanted, or letting them spend the night with a friend. Does it bother me that they think I'm mean? Nope, not at all. In fact, I pretty much expect them to have a love/hate relationship with me until they head off to college. I constantly remind them that they were given to us to love and protect. If I don't let them do something that they want to do, or not let them watch something that I find inappropriate for their age, it's my right as their parent. They can whine and cry about it all they want, but I'm not their BFF, I'm their mom. I will make mistakes as a parent numerous times I'm sure, but I never want to look back and regret being their friend over being their mom.
You see, it is not my job to give my children whatever they want. It's not my job to make them happy. It's not easy being a parent. It's my job to make sure they don't wind up pregnant at 16 or in prison after high school. How do we, as parents, make that happen? I'm not 100% sure, as my children are still young and dependent upon me. What I do know is that they know from the time they are put in this family that there are consequences to their actions. Every time. You make good choices, your life will be fairly easy. You make bad choices, you will receive a consequence. Sometimes my kids think the consequence is worth the crime, most of the time they don't.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard my girls complain to one another that I'm being mean by not buying that toy they wanted, or letting them spend the night with a friend. Does it bother me that they think I'm mean? Nope, not at all. In fact, I pretty much expect them to have a love/hate relationship with me until they head off to college. I constantly remind them that they were given to us to love and protect. If I don't let them do something that they want to do, or not let them watch something that I find inappropriate for their age, it's my right as their parent. They can whine and cry about it all they want, but I'm not their BFF, I'm their mom. I will make mistakes as a parent numerous times I'm sure, but I never want to look back and regret being their friend over being their mom.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
I'm a firm believer in...blush!
You know how all girls have one beauty item that they will not leave the house without? I have lots of friends that would say lip gloss, bronzer or a swipe of mascara. Although I am a big fan of those, well except lip gloss, I just can't stand gooey lips! My never-leave-the-house-without-it-on is definitely blush. Here's the thing about blush, it just makes you look brighter. I will have clients decide that they want to change their hair color and the first thing they always say when I'm done is, "I just need a tan now". Umm...no. You just need some blush.
I am always on the hunt for the perfect blush color. The problem with my skin is that any blush that has a brown undertone makes me look like my cheeks are dirty by the end of the day. I have to find blush that has a cool undertone. My go-to is always Bobby Brown Pale Pink. Let me tell ya, there is nothing pale about this color. It is bright! However, you can go as light or heavy as you want depending on your makeup mood that day. This past Fall/Winter I switched to MAC Fever. Love this color, but it has to be applied just so or you can look like you got a hickey on your face. This summer I've been going a little lighter with MAC Dame.
Pale Pink
Fever
Dame
There are two important things to know about blush application. The first thing is to use the right brush. My favorite is the large angled contour brush by MAC. It's the perfect size and you can use it in any situation.
The second thing you need to know is how to apply it. I make a fake smile, pat twice on my cheeks and then blend up to my cheek bone. Pat, pat, blend and repeat. If I get it too heavy, just go over it with a powder brush. Don't wipe off and reapply. You will never get it the way you want after that. Trust me.
There you have it. Next time I see you I will totally be doing a cheek check. Everyone should wear blush. No exceptions. You'll thank me later.
I am always on the hunt for the perfect blush color. The problem with my skin is that any blush that has a brown undertone makes me look like my cheeks are dirty by the end of the day. I have to find blush that has a cool undertone. My go-to is always Bobby Brown Pale Pink. Let me tell ya, there is nothing pale about this color. It is bright! However, you can go as light or heavy as you want depending on your makeup mood that day. This past Fall/Winter I switched to MAC Fever. Love this color, but it has to be applied just so or you can look like you got a hickey on your face. This summer I've been going a little lighter with MAC Dame.
Pale Pink
Dame
There are two important things to know about blush application. The first thing is to use the right brush. My favorite is the large angled contour brush by MAC. It's the perfect size and you can use it in any situation.
There you have it. Next time I see you I will totally be doing a cheek check. Everyone should wear blush. No exceptions. You'll thank me later.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
I'm a firm believer in...hair color!
That's right. Hair color. Not just because I'm a stylist, but because there are less than 1% of people on the planet that naturally have beautiful hair color over the age of 20. I'm not saying run out to your nearest salon, ask for the first available person and get some streaky highlights up in your fro. I'm definitely not saying to run up to Sally's and buy some crap in a box. I'm saying find a reputable stylist, wait for a month to get in with her, ask for her professional opinion on what would look best with your skin tone, then enjoy the salon experience and feel better about yourself. Here are some tips on color...
Highlights are great for people that need a little volume an are committed to coming in every couple of months for maintenance. Highlights give a lot of dimension and essentially dry out your hair enough to add a little umph to your roots. My clients with fine hair always say they need their highlights touched up when they start having to work harder for body. On a side note...if you live in Texas, you should carry a backcombing comb at all times. Period.
If highlights are a little too much maintenance for you, try an all over color. You can do anything from deep reds, to chocolate browns, to using your natural color with added shine. This is definitely the way to go if you are getting some of those pesky "natural highlights" as I like to call mine. All over color will hide those suckers with just 30 minutes of processing time and leave your hair looking rich.
My favorite color these days is the ever so popular ombre. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not feeling the black roots and white ends, that's just trashy. What I do love is using your natural color at the roots and very subtly going from dark to a couple of shades lighter on the ends. This type of color will give you gorgeous dimension with little to no maintenance. Think about a little girls hair at the end of summer. Now go pay your stylist tons of money to make yours look like that.
Highlights are great for people that need a little volume an are committed to coming in every couple of months for maintenance. Highlights give a lot of dimension and essentially dry out your hair enough to add a little umph to your roots. My clients with fine hair always say they need their highlights touched up when they start having to work harder for body. On a side note...if you live in Texas, you should carry a backcombing comb at all times. Period.
If highlights are a little too much maintenance for you, try an all over color. You can do anything from deep reds, to chocolate browns, to using your natural color with added shine. This is definitely the way to go if you are getting some of those pesky "natural highlights" as I like to call mine. All over color will hide those suckers with just 30 minutes of processing time and leave your hair looking rich.
My favorite color these days is the ever so popular ombre. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not feeling the black roots and white ends, that's just trashy. What I do love is using your natural color at the roots and very subtly going from dark to a couple of shades lighter on the ends. This type of color will give you gorgeous dimension with little to no maintenance. Think about a little girls hair at the end of summer. Now go pay your stylist tons of money to make yours look like that.
Monday, June 18, 2012
I'm a firm believer in...
I thought I would start a blog series on things that I am a believer
in. Some things that are serious, and some that are not at all. Pretty
much just things that make my life easier enough to believe in. The
first one is something that I get a lot of questions about. It's
Beckham's amber necklace.
For some reason, we get numerous comments on his necklace on a weekly basis. Apparently it's weird that a little boy wears a necklace 24/7? When I start to explain the reason behind it, I usually get a lot of raised eyebrows, and several years ago I would have thought it was ridiculous too. However, after #2 was born, something started to change in me. I all of the sudden became very aware of all the crap that is in our food, realized that we are over medicated and that the FDA is pretty much a joke. I started buying a lot more organic and locally grown foods, started delaying vaccines and quit giving medicine for every fever or upset stomach.
When our little man was born I felt pretty confident in my self educated, homeopathic brain. That was until he started teething. My girls never had an issue with teething. I never knew they had a tooth coming in until it popped through. When Becks started teething around 4 months, I wanted to pull my hair out. He had awful diapers, quit sleeping, cried all the time, drooled like crazy and was just plain miserable. I started researching ways to alleviate some of his discomfort and came across an article about raw amber. Basically, raw amber contains very high amounts of succinic acid that is released into your body when activated by heat. This is why it's important to always have the necklace touching skin.It is a natural pain reliever, inflammation reducer and immune booster. I figured that even if it didn't help the teething, the other benefits couldn't hurt?
I ordered ours off of www.hazelaid.com and the Hubby thought I had officially lost my marbles. I talked him into letting his son wear a necklace for a couple of weeks and see if we saw a difference. Within 48 hours of wearing it around the clock, he showed ZERO signs of teething, and hasn't one day since. This child has also never had a round of antibiotics and maybe 2 doses of Tylenol when he had the flu last year. Could be the necklace, could just be a coincidence. Either way, we are firm believers in amber teething necklaces.
For some reason, we get numerous comments on his necklace on a weekly basis. Apparently it's weird that a little boy wears a necklace 24/7? When I start to explain the reason behind it, I usually get a lot of raised eyebrows, and several years ago I would have thought it was ridiculous too. However, after #2 was born, something started to change in me. I all of the sudden became very aware of all the crap that is in our food, realized that we are over medicated and that the FDA is pretty much a joke. I started buying a lot more organic and locally grown foods, started delaying vaccines and quit giving medicine for every fever or upset stomach.
When our little man was born I felt pretty confident in my self educated, homeopathic brain. That was until he started teething. My girls never had an issue with teething. I never knew they had a tooth coming in until it popped through. When Becks started teething around 4 months, I wanted to pull my hair out. He had awful diapers, quit sleeping, cried all the time, drooled like crazy and was just plain miserable. I started researching ways to alleviate some of his discomfort and came across an article about raw amber. Basically, raw amber contains very high amounts of succinic acid that is released into your body when activated by heat. This is why it's important to always have the necklace touching skin.It is a natural pain reliever, inflammation reducer and immune booster. I figured that even if it didn't help the teething, the other benefits couldn't hurt?
I ordered ours off of www.hazelaid.com and the Hubby thought I had officially lost my marbles. I talked him into letting his son wear a necklace for a couple of weeks and see if we saw a difference. Within 48 hours of wearing it around the clock, he showed ZERO signs of teething, and hasn't one day since. This child has also never had a round of antibiotics and maybe 2 doses of Tylenol when he had the flu last year. Could be the necklace, could just be a coincidence. Either way, we are firm believers in amber teething necklaces.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)